The use of melt pads in the automotive industry had been going on for quite some time now. These sound deadener melt pads are being used as a sound deadener to prevent excessive vibrations and noise in the car which can be an irritant as well as reduce comfort to the drivers and passengers inside the car.
Prior arts of the sound deadener melt pads like U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,939 and Japanese patent No.: JP 52-50522 where they use organic fibrous fillers such as animal fibres like wools, hairs, feathers, etc. and plant fibres like cotton, hemp, decomposed used fibres obtained corrugated cardboards, newspapers, magazine or the likes. However, none of them use oil palm fibres which are not common in countries like Japan, China, United States, etc.
Also in prior arts documents U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,858 and Japanese patent No.: JP 60-215013 where binders like calcium carbonate, quicklime etc., are being used. However, no known patents had ever used hydraulic lime as a binder which has a more stronger adhesive properties as well as a good disinfectant to prevent microbes from attacking or devouring the organic fibres and causing the early deterioration of the sound deadener melt pads.
Present acoustic engineering industries are using glass wool, paper cardboards, textile curtains and chip boards, etc., for sound dampeners inside the sound recording rooms, cinemas and concert halls.
Malaysia, being a major oil palm producer in the world, has a lot of surplus oil palm biomass waste by-products like Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) which can be usefully utilized in the sound deadener melt pad production.